4 Tech Stock Stories to Ignite Investor Chatter

AMD has gained two senior engineers with experience at Qualcomm and at Apple, marking its most recent high-level recruitments as it diversifies ahead of a slumping personal computer industry, according to inside sources. Charles Matar, who recently work at Qualcomm, with expertise in low-power and embedded chip design, will become Vice President of System-on-Chip Development while Wayne Meretsky, who worked at Apple in the 1990s on the Mac, was chosen as Vice President of software IP development and will lead software developments for the company’s chips.

STR believes that its longtime customer First Solar will terminate its relationship with the firm during this year. The exact dates are uncertain, but STR expects that First Solar will begin a transition away from it in the first quarter, completely switching over to a new vendor during the next few months. The loss of First Solar would likely pose a material adverse effect on the company and its financial results. Sales to First Solar during last year were around $39 million.

International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM): Current price $206.00

Back in 1995, IBM acquired the email pioneer Lotus for $3.5 billion. The company does not specify how much revenue the Lotus franchise brings, but the tech-research firm IDC estimates the software accounted for about $1.2 billion of revenue in 2011. However, that franchise is being eroded, says the Wall Street Journal, as the FAA began employing Lotus Notes as its main email program in 2001, and announced in June a $91 million contract to transfer its 60,000 FAA employees and contractors to a new Microsoft email and communications system, while over the past few years, like moves have been made by customers.